"I don't know his name. He met me on the street and asked me how to get to Plowden's hardware store. I showed him--walked part of the way, in fact--and when I left he said he was going to have some soda, and asked me to have some. I did, and it tasted good." "Well, don't go to sleep again," suggested Tom good-naturedly. "Did you hear anything at the side window a while ago?" "Not a thing, Mr. Swift. I'll be all right now. I'll take a turn outside in the air." "All right," assented the young inventor. Then, as he turned to go into the house and was bidding Ned good-night, Tom said: "I don't like this." "What?" asked his chum. "My sleepy watchman and the figure at the window. I more than half suspect that one of Blakeson's tools followed Kent for the purpose of buying him soda, only I think they might have put a drop or two of chloral in it before he got it. That would make him sleep." "What are you going to do, Tom?" "Put another man on guard. If they think they can get into the factory at night, and steal my plans, or get ideas from my tank, I'll fool 'em. I'll have another man on guard." This Tom did, also telling Koku to sleep in the place, to be ready if called. But there was no disturbance that night, and the next day the work of completing the tank went on with a rush. It was a day or so after this, and Tom had fixed on it as the time for taking the big machine apart for shipment, that Ned received a telephone message at the bank from Mr. Damon. "Is Tom Swift over with you?" inquired the eccentric man. "No. Why?" Ned answered. "Well, I'm at his shop, and he isn't here. His father says he received a message from you a little while ago, saying to come over in a hurry, and he went. Says you told him to meet you out at that farmer Kanker's place. I thought maybe--" "At Kanker's place!" cried Ned. "Say, something's wrong, Mr. Damon! Isn't Tom there?" "No; I'm at his home, and he's been gone for some time. His father supposed he was with you. I thought I would telephone to make sure." "Whew!" whistled Ned. "There's something doing here, all right, and something wrong! I'll be right over!" he added, as he hung up the receiver. Chapter XX The Search "Haven't you seen anything of him?" asked Mr. Damon, as Ned jumped out of his small runabout at the Swift home as soon as possible after receiving the telephone message that seemed to presage something wrong. "Seen him? No, certainly not!" answered the young bank clerk. "I'm as much surprised as you are over it. What happened, anyhow?" "Bless my memorandum pad, but I hardly know!" answered the eccentric man. "I arrived here a little while ago, stopping in merely to pay Tom a visit, as I often do, and he wasn't here. His father was anxiously waiting for him, too, wishing to consult him about some shop matters. Mr. Swift said Tom had gone out with you, or over to your house--I wasn't quite sure which at first--and was expected back any minute.